


With an iridescent glow

by Laughingvirus



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Fantasy AU, M/M, dragons au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-23
Updated: 2019-09-23
Packaged: 2020-10-26 20:29:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20748278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Laughingvirus/pseuds/Laughingvirus
Summary: The white dragon stretched its wings and took flight and in the pale moonlight, the scales appeared to be iridescent.It was a beautiful sight.





	With an iridescent glow

Woojin kept his back straight and his face blank as he walked through the halls of the white dragons. He had not been in this castle for a long time now and he tried his very best to push down the nervousness that was bubbling in his chest. He glanced to his side to see his father, back straight and his expression stoic. 

He recognized the walls of the castle, even though a few years had passed since he had visited. But he remembered the halls he had been running through as a child. He held those memories close to his heart. 

But what once had been warm and welcoming spaces now felt cold and void of emotions. It was as if the soul of the castle had vanished.

“Remember to keep your tone official,” his father said, not sparing Woojin a glance as they moved closer to the throne room. “Remember that-”

“That he’s the crown prince,” Woojin said, looking ahead again and his father sighed. “I know, you’ve told me.”

“He is to be treated with the uttermost respect, Woojin.”

“I am well aware, father,” Woojin said, not bothering to look at his father again. “But humor me and tell me, why are we here?”

“That is still rather unclear,” his father replied and Woojin bit the inside of his cheek to hold back a snarky comment. “The crown prince merely requested our presence.”

“I see,” Woojin said, jaw clenched as the guards of the white dragon kingdom stopped in front of a heavy wooden door. There was a pause, a moment of silence when no one spoke. Then the guards pushed the doors open and led them inside.

Woojin wasn’t sure what to expect, as it had been a good while since he’d last walked these halls, but losing his breath wasn’t one of the things. 

The room itself was long, walls marbled and lined with pillars and walls decorated with tapestries in red and silver. Towards the end of the throne room was a raised platform with the throne. 

In front of the white stone throne, with a large window made of stained glass behind him, was the crown prince. He looked at them with cold, piercing red eyes. Pale blond hair styled into neat curls framed his angular face and his jaw was tense, thick lips pressed together. His attire was different from what Woojin was wearing. His robes were pristine white and sleeveless but over his shoulders, a cape of white, delicate lace was carefully draped. 

“Ah, General,” the Crown Prince greeted when Woojin and his father reached the end of the room, bowing his head and as he did, Woojin could see the thin silver chain that rested against his forehead. His red eyes then shifted to look at Woojin.

“Crown prince,” Woojin’s father said, bowing as the crown prince began to make his way down the stairs from the platform. His eyes were still fixed at Woojin and Woojin bowed his head as a greeting, reaching out to take the crown prince’s hand in his.

“Crown prince Chan,” Woojin said, bowing his head to press his lips against the top of Chan’s hand. 

“Archduke Woojin,” Chan said, his voice still flat and Woojin straightened his back, letting go of Chan’s hand. So many years had passed since they’d last seen each other and while he had expected a change, this wasn’t what he had expected. Chan’s gaze was cold as he looked Woojin over. He took a step back. “Welcome,” he said after a moment. 

“It’s an honor to be here,” Woojin replied politely as he had been instructed. Chan’s eyes didn’t leave Woojin and Woojin took a deep breath, straightening his back a little.

“General,” Chan said, glancing back to Woojin’s father. “I shall not stall and take up much of your time. The reason I called you and your son here is because I have a request.”

“Oh?”

“I would like an…” Chan trailed off, thinking for a moment. “An ambassador from the black dragons here with me. I strive to be a fair and equal ruler and I believe that input from all the territories would be in order.”

“That sounds reasonable,” Woojin’s father replied and Woojin hummed, keeping his back straight and his eyes focused on Chan. “I think I could bring my council here within the week. I got a few suggestio-”

“I want your son as the ambassador,” Chan said, cutting Woojin’s father off. 

Woojin widened his eyes, turning to look at his father. His father looked equally as shocked as he looked between Chan and Woojin. 

“Crown Prince, with all due respect,” Woojin’s father began and Woojin raised an eyebrow. “My son isn’t an experienced politician. I could get you one of the council me-”

“I do not care if he’s an experienced politician or not,” Chan said, cutting Woojin’s father off once again with a dismissive wave of his hand. “What I care about is having someone with insight into the black dragons territory and knowledge of what the black dragons want. I think Archduke Woojin would suit perfect for that.”

Woojin’s father pressed his lips together and nodded slowly. 

“Archduke Woojin,” Chan said, turning his attention to Woojin and Woojin immediately straightened his back, meeting Chan’s gaze. Chan’s red eyes were cold as he was silent for a moment, studying Woojin closely. 

“Crown prince,” Woojin replied, bowing his head a little.

“I’d like to keep you in the territories of the white dragons as an ambassador for the black dragons,” Chan began and Woojin nodded, not taking his eyes off Chan. “I will ask you to stay here for a year at first and when the year is up, we may discuss how we shall proceed from there. You are to be treated as an honored guest in my house and I will seek advice from you during this period.”

Woojin nodded.

Chan’s eyes flickered over to Woojin’s father for a second and then back to Woojin.

“Archduke Woojin,” Chan said, raising his voice to make sure everyone in the room could hear him. “Do you accept my offer?”

Woojin was silent for a moment. He could feel everyone in the room look at him, but the most intense glance came from his father beside him.

“I do.”

  


  


“I’ll have your things sent here as soon as possible,” Woojin’s father said as he stood by the door of what would now be Woojin’s home for the coming year. He looked like he wanted to say something else, but instead he pressed his lips together in a thin line. 

“Thank you father,” Woojin said, breaking the silence between them.

“I requested to let one of the knights stay here,” Woojin’s father continued and Woojin nodded. “Who do you wish to remain here with you?”

“Changbin,” Woojin replied without much thought. His father clenched his jaw, clearly not happy with Woojin’s choice. “If anyone but Changbin stays, I will have them sent back,” he said and his father sighed, nodding his head slowly.

Woojin’s relationship with his father wasn’t necessarily bad. His father was a nice man and Woojin had a lot of fond memories of his father from his childhood. But as Woojin had grown, his father had started to treat him less like a son and more like one of the many soldiers in the army.

Woojin hated that.

“I’ll take my leave then,” his father said, giving Woojin a nod before he closed the door behind him. 

Woojin gritted his teeth. He wasn’t sure what he had expected but he had hoped for his father to act like a father for once.

With a sigh, he began to undo the straps of his heavy leather armor. 

The room he had been assigned was bright. Light colors everywhere and he felt like he stuck out like a sore thumb among the white and pale gray.

He dropped the heavy, black cape on the gray armchair before he pulled off the leather gloves. As he worked on getting out of his leather armor, he allowed his mind to wander.

He thought of Chan. He had known Chan was beautiful, having known him since they were children. But he hadn’t expected him to be this much different. 

  
  


_ Woojin stumbled a little as he shifted back to humanoid, losing his footing for a second. He could hear his father chuckle, fondly as he ruffled Woojin’s hair and Woojin’s cheeks heated up. He straightened his jacket a little, making sure that everything was in place before he glanced at his mother. She smiled at him and held out her hand to take his. He immediately took it, wrapping his small fingers around hers. _

_ “Let’s go and meet the Crown Prince, shall we?” his father proposed and Woojin nodded eagerly, a grin stretching on his lips. He had heard about the Crown Prince. His parents had talked a lot about the prince of the white dragons. He was apparently around Woojin’s age and Woojin was looking forward to have someone to play with. _

_ They walked through the castle, through corridors with pale marble floor and high ceilings. It was very bright, the walls a soft cream white and adorned with swirls of silver and gold. It was so different from Woojin’s home, from his castle, but Woojin liked it. Tall windows on the walls allowed for sunlight to filter in and Woojin’s little heart skipped a beat every time he got a glimpse of the sun. As spring had just arrived, the south was still very dark and cold. Being in the bright and warm north territories made him happy. _

_ A large wooden door opened in front of them and they stepped inside a large throne room. Woojin knew it was a throne room because this one was similar to the one in his own home. The only difference was the colors and the ceiling. The floor was still marble, white pillars lining the rectangular room and on the other side of the room was two large thrones. Woojin glanced up to the ceiling, only to widen his eyes as he saw it. Instead of stone, the ceiling was made out of stained glass and as the sun shone through it, it cast colorful patterns on the pale marble floor. _

_ “Your highness,” his father said and Woojin focused his eyes on the three people standing in front of the two thrones. The man was standing with his back straight, his chin held up with pride as he looked at them with a kind smile. He had short, pale gray hair, an angular chin, a straight nose and red eyes. The red eyes were a bit frightening, but he looked kind and Woojin felt his little heart calm down a little. The woman beside him had a rounder face, smaller nose and blonde hair, loose curls falling down her chest as she looked Woojin over. She also had red eyes, but she looked kind. She was holding hands with a young boy and when Woojin laid his eyes on the boy, his breath hitched. _

_ The boy was almost hiding behind his mother, his pale cheeks dusted pink as he avoided to look at Woojin. He had a round face, thick lips and when he finally peered at Woojin, Woojin could see his bright red eyes. He had a tuft of dark hair, wild curls sticking in every direction possible. _

_ “Crown Prince Chan,” Woojin’s father greeted and the small boy flinched at the mention of his name. He glanced up at Woojin’s father, nodding his head a little. “It’s nice to finally make your acquaintances,” his father said, crouching down to be on the same level as the Crown Prince. “This is my son, Archduke Woojin.” _

_ “Hello,” Woojin said carefully, taking a step closer. He held out his hand towards Chan. “I’m Woojin.” _

_ Chan looked between Woojin’s face and his outstretched hand. Then he took a deep breath and took a step towards Woojin, reaching out to take Woojin’s hand. _

_ “I’m Chan,” he said. “It’s nice to meet you, Archduke Woojin,” he continued, his voice soft but the confidence clear. _

_ “Nice to meet you, Crown Prince Chan,” Woojin said, the smile on his lips widening. _

  
  


Woojin and Chan had been meeting frequently, at least once every half year, and spent a lot of their childhood together. But when Chan was fifteen, his parents had both passed away and as an only child, he had to take over. That had caused interactions between Woojin and Chan to cease as Chan was quickly brought into the world of adults and politics while Woojin remained a teenager, moving towards the life in the army.

Now Woojin had never been in battle but he was a trained warrior more than he was a politician. He assumed that was why his father had been so sceptical about him being an ambassador for the black dragons instead of someone from the council of elders that had more political knowledge. His choice in having a very young knight remaining with him in unfamiliar territory didn’t seem to have made things much better. But Woojin knew he could trust Changbin and there was no one he’d rather have remain here with him.

Woojin sighed as he removed his leather amor completely and he sat down on the bed, wearing only undergarments to the armor. 

As he sat there, he thought back to the memory of first meeting Chan and the Chan he had just met in the throne room.

People changed over time, that wasn’t a surprise. But this Chan was so different from the Chan that Woojin had called friend. Some part of him wished that Chan had only acted like that in front of his father. 

A soft knock on the door brought Woojin out of his thoughts and he stood up.

“Come in,” he called and not a moment later, the door creaked open. 

A young man stepped inside, clearly of white dragon descent with pale blond hair and white robes. He looked young, his jaw sharp and cheekbones prominent but his cheeks chubby in a rather cute way. His eyes were sharp and wide, red irises flickering around nervously.

“Archduke Woojin,” he greeted, his voice rather meek as he stared at Woojin. It was almost as if he was scared of Woojin. 

“That would be me,” Woojin said, looking the boy over. “What’s your name?”

“Jeongin,” the boy replied and Woojin hummed. He held out a bundle of clothes for Woojin. “The Crown Prince sent me to give you this,” he said, eyes still wide. 

Woojin reached out to carefully take the bundle of clothes from Jeongin.

“Because you didn’t get to bring your stuff with you so-”

“Thank you, Jeongin,” Wooin said softly and Jeongin blinked. 

“You’re welcome, Archduke Woojin,” Jeongin said, visibly relaxing as he offered Woojin a grin. There was a pause before Jeongin spoke up again. “The Crown Prince has requested your presence at dinner tomorrow. He told me to tell you that he was intending to discuss your stay tomorrow evening and give you tonight as well as tomorrow to settle in.”

“I see,” Woojin said, placing the bundle of clothes on the bed. “So I’m free to move around the castle then?”

“Yes,” Jeongin said, nodding his head. “Just get familiar with the area. He said he didn’t want you to feel uncomfortable here.”

“Ah,” Woojin said, nodding his head a little as he rubbed his chin. “Thank you, Jeongin,” he said, turning to look at the young servant.

“My pleasure, Archduke Woojin,” Jeongin said, smile still on his face as he turned to the door again. “Have a good night.”

“You too, Jeongin,” Woojin said as Jeongin closed the door behind him. “You too,” he repeated to no one in particular.

  


  


“Archduke,” Changbin greeted as Woojin stepped outside the palace. Changbin looked him over, eyebrow raised. “I must say that you look rather official today,” he pointed out.

Woojin looked Changbin over. Changbin wasn’t wearing the dark leather armor he had been wearing when they had arrived, but was instead wearing dark leather pants, boots and a white linen shirt. 

“I am well aware,” Woojin said as he began to walk and Changbin hummed. “I thought I’d keep my attire in tradition of the black dragons for at least a while.”

“Understandable, your grace,” Changbin said, turning around to join Woojin’s side. “For it to be the north, I must say that the weather today is rather hot. I do not think I would have survived today in the armor. My apologizes.”

“Worry not, Changbin,” Woojin said, waving his hand in the air. “I don’t blame you.”

“Did the Crown Prince tell you anything of what he has in store for you today or are you just free to roam the properties?”

“He did request for me to have dinner with him,” Woojin said and Changbin hummed. “But he did tell me to get used to the area so I guess that means I’m allowed to have a look around the area.”

“Are you going to shift and take a look at it from above, your grace?” Changbin asked but Woojin shook his head. 

“I’ll just settle on a walk for today,” he said and Changbin hummed. “But if you feel like stretching your wings, I’m not going to stop you.”

“Very kind of you, your grace,” Changbin joked lightly and Woojin laughed, giving Changbin’s shoulder a light bump. “I might ask some of the other knights to bring me on a tour later.”

“That does sound like a rather good idea. Any other knights around your age?”

“There’s a lot of younger knights,” Changbin replied and Woojin hummed. “But there is… I did get to speak with a servant who seemed to be around my age. Perhaps a bit older.”

“Oh?”

“Also met a younger servant. I believe his name was Jeongin.”

“He came by my room yesterday,” Woojin said and Changbin let out a soft ‘oh’. “Quite young I believe.”

“Sixteen if we are to believe Minho,” Changbin replied. 

“Minho?” Woojin asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“The servant,” Changbin said. “Possibly the head of the servants. I did not ask and he did not introduce himself as anything but Minho.”

“I see,” Woojin said and Changbin hummed. 

The two of them continued to walk in silence, simply deciding to take in their surroundings rather than further engage in conversation.

The kingdom of the white dragons were located on a mountain side, with the castle built into the side of the mountain. Parts of the mountain flattened out here and there, which allowed for them to build gardens and such. Below, on the open fields at the base of the mountain were smaller villages and farms. Maybe they belonged to the humans.

As Woojin let his eyes and mind wander, he could conclude that maybe staying here wouldn’t be so bad.

  


  


“Crown Prince,” Woojin greeted as he sat down in front of Chan. It seemed like the two of them would dine alone, as they were currently in a smaller dinner hall with a rather small table. “How are you today?” he asked, straightening his back 

“I would not complain,” Chan said, leaning back in his chair. He was wearing jewelry in his hair today, golden chains complementing his pale blond hair and diamonds gleaming in the warm light of the candles on the table. “But I do have to admit that a whole day of simple meetings is tiring at times.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever had a full day of only meetings but I feel tired after just a few meetings,” Woojin said, something stirring in his chest as a small smile stretched over Chan’s lips. “I can’t imagine how it is to be running a whole kingdom on your own.” He looked Chan over. “Especially at such a young age.”

“I’d argue that twenty six isn’t that young,” Chan said, the smile fading away from his face. The glimpse of the old Chan that Woojin knew from his childhood quickly vanished and Woojin’s gut twisted a little. “I’d like to think I am quite good at what I am doing, Archduke.”

“What I mean is that I am older and I still don’t feel like I’m ready to take over the leadership in the eastern territories,” Woojin clarified and Chan hummed, the guarded and cold expression on his face back. “I did not intend to insult you, Crown Prince,” he clarified and Chan hummed, red eyes not leaving Woojin. “My apologies.”

“Apology accepted,” Chan said, turning back to his food. 

Woojin sighed as he too turned back to eat. They continued to eat in silence while Woojin’s mind continued to spin, trying to think about something to say to get rid of the heavy tension in the air.

But he couldn’t think of anything, so instead he decided to remain quiet.

  


  


Woojin stood by the side of the large training area. It was currently occupied by a few people, all standing around a pair of knights as the two seemed to be engaged in a training session. 

A quick glance around the area told Woojin that this wasn’t simply a training ground for the knights in human shape, this area could fit at least two fully grown dragons. Woojin looked around again. Maybe one black dragon and one dragon of another type. Two black dragons here might be a bit too much.

“Your grace,” someone greeted and Woojin turned his head to see a young man approach him. 

He was blond, but instead of the icy blond that every white dragon in the castle seemed to have, he had a golden blond that reflected the sunlight. His eyes were a bright green, irises seemingly glowing in the sunlight. The man looked to be young, at least around his twenties with a lanky build and a heart shaped face, his cheeks still holding onto some of that baby fat. His thick lips were stretched into a wide smile. He was dressed in the typical fashion of the gold dragons. A simple leather armor, which was much lighter than Woojin’s own leather armor, under a loose fitting poncho. The poncho was a soft creme color with runes embroidered into the hem with golden thread. 

“Archduke Woojin, I assume?”

“You’re correct,” Woojin said as he eyed the young man. A teasing smile stretched on his lips. “Marquess Hyunjin, if I’m not mistaken.”

“You remembered!” Hyunjin exclaimed and Woojin chuckled at the enthusiasm. “I didn’t think you would, Jinnie.”

“Who am I to forget you? You’re my Jinnie,” he retorted and Woojin laughed, opening his arms to hug Woojin. “You’ve grown a lot since I saw you,” he said as they parted. Hyunjin only nodded, the wide smile still on his lips. 

“Are you here as an ambassador as well?” Hyunjin asked, looking Woojin up and down as he took a step back. 

“I am,” Woojin said. “You too?”

Hyunjin nodded.

“I see,” Woojin said, turning his attention back to the knights. It looked like the captain, an older man that Woojin unfortunately never caught the name of, was wrapping it all up and they were getting ready to leave.

“Would you mind going a round after they finish up?” Hyunjin asked and Woojin turned back to look at him. He raised an eyebrow and Hyunjin shrugged. “I mean, they seem to be ready and I’d just like to relive old memories.”

“Old memories includes you trying to wrestle me as a dragon?” Woojin asked, looking back to the small group of knights as they began to make their way from the training grounds and back to the barracks. “If you’re sure about that…” he said, trailing off.

“Yes!” Hyunjin said, immediately grabbing Woojin’s hand and he began to drag him towards the training grounds.

The knights all gave them curious looks as they passed by. The captain raised an eyebrow. 

“I hope you don’t mind us borrowing the training grounds,” Woojin said as they passed the captain. He stopped, forcing Hyunjin to pause as well as he spoke to the captain. The older man smiled, giving Hyunjin a glance and he nodded.

“There might be some curious onlookers, just to make you aware of that,” he said, gesturing to the small group of knights. While most of them had already continued, two of the knights had stayed back and it looked like they were prepared to sit and watch Hyunjin and Woojin. 

One of them had blue hair and blue eyes, his face and eyes round. The other was red haired, yellow eyes peering curiously at Woojin and Hyunjin.

“That’s alright, they can stay if they want,” Woojin said and gave the two young knights a nod. Both seemed to brighten up and they moved to sit on the side of the training area. Hyunjin began to pull Woojin with him until they were standing in the middle of the open space. 

“Would you like to go first?” Hyunjin said as he let go of Woojin’s hand and took a step back. There was a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Age first, right?”

“I think I’ll give you the honor of making your grand entrance first, Marquess Hyunjin,” Woojin retorted and Hyunjin grinned, reaching up to brush some of his golden blond hair away from his forehead. 

Hyunjin swiftly shifted and the slender form of the gold dragon stretched out in front of Woojin. The neck and tail were both slender and long. The golden wings were wide and almost sail like as the wing membrane stretched down all the way along the dragon’s body, from the base of the humerus down to the tail. 

Hyunjin was just nineteen, meaning that he still had room to grow and Woojin couldn’t hold back the fond smile as he watched Hyunjin. He had grown since Woojin last saw him, but there was clearly still room for more growth.

Gold dragons were known for being beautiful and Hyunjin’s dragon shape was no exception. The golden scale gleamed in the setting sun as the dragon twisted its neck around to look at Woojin.

Without a word, Woojin shifted. He knew the training area wasn’t fitted for black dragons and he could feel the space around him close in. The shadow below him grew along with his size and he was soon towering over Hyunjin. 

The gold dragon coiled its tail around itself as it watched Woojin with gleaming, green eyes. 

Woojin stretched, digging his claws into the soft dirt of the training ground. Then he gave Hyunjin a nod.

The gold dragon let out a playful sound, unfurling its wings as it lowered itself in a stance resembling a cat. Woojin let a playful growl rumble in his chest and he lowered himself to the ground, waiting for Hyunjin to make the first move.

Then Hyunjin pounced. 

  


  


“You know,” a voice said as the door creaked open. Woojin had just gotten out of the bath and was still only in a towel. “I knew black dragons were big, but I must say that I didn’t anticipate _ that _.”

The servant that had just entered was wearing similar clothes to what Jeongin wore. The first word that came to mind when Woojin looked at him was _ pretty _. He had a small face, with delicate and almost feline like features. Sharp cheekbones, pale blue eyes and his lips seemed to curl in the corners of his mouth. His dark blue hair was casually swept to the side and away from his eyes. 

“I’d appreciate it if you knocked on my door the next time,” Woojin said after a moment and the servant gave him a nod. “Rather bold for a servant, I must say.”

“In my defense, your grace, I was expecting you to still be in the bath. I am terribly sorry for just barging in like this,” the servant said as he placed the towels in his hands on top of the dresser. “I was simply going to bring you a few more towels.”

“Thank you…” Woojin trailed off, waiting for the servant to fill in with his name.

“It’s Minho,” he said, kittenish smile stretching on his lips and Woojin hummed, smile tugging at the corners of his lips. 

So this was the Minho that Changbin had talked about.

“So you were around the training grounds today then?” Woojin asked, circling back to the initial topic of conversation.

“I was,” Minho said, taking a step back and away from the dresser. “I was looking for Jeongin. He likes to be around the training grounds.”

“I see,” Woojin said and silence fell over the room. Minho kept looking at Woojin, meeting his gaze with sharp, pale blue eyes. “I must admit, Minho, that I have not seen a blue dragon shift but I hear they are supposed to be somewhat similar to the black ones.”

“That’s what they say,” Minho said, his lips curling with a smile in the corners. “And I must say that I did believe that until today.”

“Really now?”

“I was raised in the territories of the white dragons,” Minho said, momentarily letting his eyes wander over to the large window in the room. Then he snapped back to reality and focused at Woojin. “My parents were from the blue dragon kingdom, settled down here and then sadly passed away…” he trailed off, biting his lip as he seemed to think about what to say. “They passed away in the same fire that claimed the lives of the King and Queen.”

Oh.

“I’m sorry for your loss,” Woojin said but Minho shook his head, small smile tugging on his lips. He shrugged.

“Life happens you know,” he said before clearing his throat. “So I haven’t seen a lot of other blue dragons but I will say that my parents and I are nowhere near the size of what I saw today.”

“Interesting,” Woojin said, rubbing his chin. “I saw a blue dragon earlier today among the knights. A blue and a red one stayed back to watch us. Young knights.”

“Must have been Jisung and Seungmin then,” Minho said, his expression turning soft and almost fond as he seemed to space out for just a second. “Jisung would be the blue one and Seungmin is the red one. Pretty young knights in training. Awfully curious.”

“They did talk to Hyunjin after the whole training thing,” Woojin said and Minho hummed. “Guess they were a bit scared of me.”

“Probably,” Minho said and shrugged again. Then he cleared his throat and straightened his back. “I’ll let you get dressed, Archduke. I will have to clarify that I did not mean to intrude and I apologize.”

“That’s… quite alright I guess,” Woojin said and Minho hummed as he turned to walk back to the door. “I appreciate the apology.”

“Anytime,” Minho said with a smile as he cracked the door open. Halfway through the small opening he paused and looked back at Woojin. “The Crown Prince requested your presence at dinner tonight if that would be possible to arrange.”

“I can do that,” Woojin said and Minho hummed, nodding his head.

“I’ll let the Crown Prince know,” he said. “Thank you, Archduke,” he continued before slipping out of the room and closing the door behind him with a click.

After finally meeting him, Woojin could understand Changbin’s fascination and possible attraction to the older blue dragon. With a smile on his face he turned towards the pile of folded clothes on the arm chair. 

  


  


In contrast to the dinner the night before, Hyunjin had joined them this night. It sort of felt more official with Hyunjin there, despite Hyunjin bringing more conversation to the table. But it somehow made Woojin feel more aware of what he said and did at the table. 

He was careful to not let his gaze linger on Chan any more time than necessary. 

“So, Crown Prince,” Hyunjin said and Woojin looked up from his food. He looked between Hyunjin and Chan as Chan too looked up from his plate. “I have a question.”

Woojin’s heart skipped a beat as he simply watched Chan. He had not expected the feelings of his childhood to return to him and not this strongly. He took a deep breath, trying to focus and get in control over his heart. In the corner of his eye, he caught Hyunjin throwing him a short glance. 

“I’ll try my best to answer that question then,” Chan said, an almost fond look in his eyes as he looked at Hyunjin. Woojin’s heart squeezed in his chest, something in the back of his mind almost wishing that Chan would look at him like that. 

Maybe it was because Hyunjin was young and endearing. 

“I couldn’t help but notice the human villages around the area,” he said and Chan hummed, leaning forward a little to better hear Hyunjin. “We have a local treaty with the humans around our kingdom and as far as I am concerned, the black dragons doesn’t even have humans around their territories,” he said, looking over at Woojin with sharp, green eyes. “Is that true, Archduke?”

“That’s correct,” Woojin said, with a nod. “Our kingdom is on the peninsula and our only neighbors are the red and blue dragons. They have their own deals with the humans close to them.”

“So I was just curious about the humans here,” Hyunjin continued, turning back to Chan. “Peaceful or no?”

“It’s a rather peaceful treaty,” Chan said as he leaned back in his chair and he looked between Hyunjin and Woojin. “Haven’t really had any troubles with our agreements in years.”

“That’s pleasant,” Woojin said and Chan hummed. 

“So I heard the two of you had a little show at the training grounds,” he said, raising an eyebrow with a small smile twitching in the corners of his lips. Woojin’s heart did that thing again. 

“Did you see it?” Hyunjin asked, a smug smile on his lips as his eyes flickered between Woojin and Chan.

“I could see parts of it,” Chan said as he smiled, a genuine smile and Woojin’s mouth suddenly went dry. His mind went back to that time when they were still children; when they were still carefree; when Chan still smiled like that at him. “I must say, I did not expect the black dragons to be this size.”

“I get that a lot,” Woojin said and Chan laughed, more a polite laugh than a genuine one. 

There was another pause as the three of them went back to their food and Woojin could see Hyunjin twist a bit uncomfortably in his seat. Just as Hyunjin was about to say something to break the silence, Chan spoke again.

“The whole reason I’m bringing in ambassadors from the other territories is because I value everyone's opinion and I have the whole dragon kingdom’s best interest in mind when I make my decisions,” Chan said and Woojin nodded. “Which is why you have to sit with me during my, quite frankly, boring meetings but I believe this is for the best.”

“A wise decision, Crown Prince,” Woojin said and Chan hummed.

“Tomorrow the silver dragons will be here and hopefully we’ll have an ambassador from them as well,” Chan continued. “They will arrive in the morning so I would like you all to attend that. I will admit that the silver dragons might be a bit strict with having a full or almost full court to greet them. I cannot tell if my aunt and uncle will be present but if they are, it would be for the best for you all to be present.”

“Of course, Crown Prince,” Woojin said, nodding his head. Hyunjin only offered Chan a wide smile and a nod. 

Silence fell over the table and Woojin could see how Hyunjin’s patience slowly faded away. At last, he placed his cutlery on the plate and stood up.

“Thank you so much for the meal, Crown Prince,” he said with a bow and Chan bowed his head. “Have a good evening,” he continued. Then he looked over at Woojin and gave him a small nod. “Archduke.”

“Have a good evening, Marquess Hyunjin,” Chan said as Hyunjin turned around and left the room. 

Silence rang in the air before Woojin opened his mouth.

“Teenagers,” he said. Chan paused before breaking out in a genuine laugh. The sound warmed Woojin’s heart. 

“Teeangers indeed,” he said, a fond smile on his face as he looked down on his hands in his lap for a moment. “Just between the two of us,” he began, looking up at Woojin. There was something in his red eyes, something that Woojin couldn’t quite explain. “I don’t know if you remember Duke Felix of the silver dragons.”

A faint bell rang in the back of Woojin’s mind. 

“We went to the celebration of his first birthday,” Chan said and Woojin let out a soft ‘oh’. He could recall the memory now when Chan mentioned it. 

He remembered walking up to the small toddler with the blue, almost white eyes and the tuft of dark gray hair. As he recalled the memory, he suddenly got a clearer picture of the young hatchling and he couldn’t help but smile. Felix was a lot younger than him and Woojin remembered the fond feelings he held for the younger already back then.

He also remembered sneaking off with a ten year old Chan so the two of them could play instead of being stuck with all the formal and boring adults. 

“We were quite rude as children, were we not?” he asked and Chan smiled. It looked like he wanted to laugh but something held him back.

“We were,” he said, looking down at his hands again. “I still haven’t told my cousin about that. I believe he would be quite upset, being the emotional teenager he is, if I told him.”

“I see,” Woojin said, smile remaining on his face. He continued to study Chan’s face. It looked like Chan wanted to say something, to laugh and enjoy the moment but something held him back.

Woojin couldn’t help but wonder if it was because of the carefully crafted walls he seemed to have built around him to protect him from the harsh reality of the adult world. 

Chan suddenly pushed the chair back, the feet of it scraping against the marble floor. Woojin looked at him, surprised by the sudden action. 

“I will retire for tonight, Archduke,” he said as he stood up. Once again he seemed to close himself up like a clam as Woojin got a bit too close. Woojin swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded.

“Have a good evening, Crown Prince,” he said and Chan nodded. 

“See you in the morning, Archduke Woojin.”

Woojin stared at his empty wine glass as Chan’s footsteps echoed in the dining hall. Oh how he wished Chan would just call him by name. 

  
  
  
  
  


  


There was a peaceful silence in the throne room. Everyone were waiting. 

Woojin let his eyes wander the hall, over Hyunjin with his traditional clothes from the golden territories, the thick poncho weighing heavy on his shoulders with chunky embroideries in gold. 

He glanced over his shoulder to see Changbin in his black leather armor, standing to the back of the room with his back straight. Beside him were Seungmin and Jisung, both dressed up in pale leather armors. This seemed to be their first time at an event such as this one, judging by their expressions.

He watched Chan intently as Chan stood silent in front of the throne, his eyes fixed at the closed door. He was dressed in a loose, white coat with large sleeves reaching all the way to the ground as he rested his hands over his belly button and the coat itself was starting to slip off his shoulder, exposing his pale skin. He was still barefoot, the golden jewelry around his ankles gleaming in the soft light that filtered in through the roof.

Woojin found himself getting lost in studying Chan’s face as Chan was focused on whatever they were waiting for. He let his eyes wander over Chan’s face, his heart squeezing a little. Chan was wearing makeup and Woojin could see a dusting of silver around his eyes reflecting the light that filtered in through the stained glass ceiling. His hair was styled, neat curls framing his face and Woojin’s heart did a little flip in his chest. 

He startled as the doors were pushed open, the sound of footsteps against the floor growing louder.

“Cousin!” a young man said, opening his arms as he walked into the throne room. He was wearing a gray sleeveless jacket, a high collar and trims of the jacket in silver. Draped around his waist and one arm was a light, pale blue piece of fabric. He had a round face, some baby fat in his cheeks left, a small nose and thick lips stretched into a wide smile. His hair was pale gray, edging on a silver tone and almost covering his eyes. He looked young; younger than Chan and much like Chan, this boy was also barefoot. As Woojin looked over the guards that were walking with the boy he could assess that the footsteps he’d heard earlier came from them, as they were all wearing shoes.

“Felix,” Chan greeted, remaining in front of the throne as Felix walked up to him.

As the name left Chan’s lips, realization settled in. It had been long since Woojin had had anything to do with the silver dragons but he could recall the celebration of Duke Felix’s birth.

“It’s good to see you again,” Chan said, snapping Woojin out of his thoughts. 

Felix raised an eyebrow, looking Chan over before letting his gaze wander over the small group of people standing beside Chan. His yellow eyes were sharp but as he quickly broke into a grin and Woojin couldn’t help but smile himself.

“I see you got a black dragon here,” he said, letting his eyes linger on Woojin before glancing back at Chan. “Interesting.”

“We’re reestablishing the bonds between territories. Surely you know that already,” Chan replied calmly and Felix hummed. “Archduke Woojin here is an ambassador for the black dragon, much like Marquess Hyunjin is here from the gold dragons.”

“Ah. You’re the Archduke Woojin I’ve heard so much about,” Felix said, looking over at Woojin as he walked over. “It’s very nice to finally meet you. I’m Duke Felix of the silver dragons.”

“An honor to meet you, Duke Felix,” Woojin said, bowing his head a little before he gestured to Felix’s hand. “May I..?”

“Oh,” Felix said, quickly holding out his hand to Woojin. “Of course,” he said as Woojin gently took Felix’s small hand in his, pressing a small kiss on the top of his hand. “You black dragons are so polite,” Felix said, a giggle making its way into his voice as he spoke and Woojin smiled softly. “I like you,” he said, glancing over at Chan. “I like him.”

“Felix, focus please,” Chan said, his voice tight and stern as Felix turned back. “I believe we have some business to discuss, no?”

“Indeed, cousin,” Felix said, expression growing serious as he returned to stand in front of Chan. “Now when the formalities are out of the way, we better get to the discussions, no?”

“Yes,” Chan hummed, turning to look over the small group beside him. He glanced at Woojin, their gazes meeting for a mere second before Chan averted his eyes. “You may leave the room. Everyone but Jisung and Seungmin.”

There were a few murmurs of ‘yes, Crown Prince,’ and the small gathering of people, along with the guards Felix had brought with him, began to exit the room. Woojin threw a last glance over his shoulder. Chan’s expression was blank, brows furrowed ever so slightly and Felix was still smiling widely, offering Woojin a little wave before Woojin turned around again, leaving the room.

  


  


“I apologize for my cousin,” Felix said, joining Woojin on the balcony. Woojin was busy looking over the garden far below, marveling at the colors, the flowers, the gentle beauty of life in front of him. He let his eyes wander over the sights in front of him before he turned to look at Felix. 

“What for?” Woojin asked as he looked at Felix. Felix raised an eyebrow, eyes fixed on Woojin and a not so impressed look in his eyes. 

“He can be a bit… harsh sometimes,” Felix said slowly, turning to look over the gardens. “My uncle and aunt raised him to be the emperor, but they were kind at heart. However, when they passed…” He sighed. “It’s a harsh world to enter. Especially when you’re the head of all the territories and inherits it all at the age of fifteen.”

Woojin kept his eyes fixed on Felix as Felix spoke, his heart growing heavy in his chest. Felix looked so serious as he spoke, his words chosen with uttermost care and he seemed so much older. 

“How old are you now, Duke Felix?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I am to turn seventeen this year,” he replied calmly, his eyes still wandering over the garden below. “Not too old, I am aware.”

“You’re awfully young for being here alone.”

“I guess I am,” Felix said, smiling as he turned back to look at Woojin. “I am sent here as a kind of ambassador as well.”

“You are?” Woojin asked and Felix nodded, smiling widely. “I bet you got more political knowledge than me.”

“Most likely,” Felix joked lightly and Woojin couldn’t hold the laughter. “I mean no offence, Archduke, but you black dragons are not exactly known for being skilled in the political field. Unless you count physical fights and actual wars as politics.” There was a pause before Felix spoke up again. “Maybe that’s one type of politics.”

“Maybe,” Woojin said, the smile not leaving his lips. “But no we’re not really skilled in the more peaceful politics, if that’s what you want to know. Although we do deal with peace treaties sometimes as well.”

“I see,” Felix said, eyes traveling over the garden again. “I apologize if I’m too forward but I must ask,” he began and Woojin hummed, raising an eyebrow. “Have you ever been to war?”

“I have not. At least not in the way I presume you mean war,” Woojin replied calmly and Felix let out a soft ‘oh’. “I have accompanied my father to the battlefield during tense periods but never a full on war, no. I am trained for it though.”

“Interesting,” Felix noted, placing both his hand on the wide stone railing of the balcony. Before Woojin could say anything, Felix heaved himself up on the edge to sit. He glanced down on Woojin, a youthful and mischievous gleam in his eyes. “We silver dragons doesn’t-” He paused for a moment. “We don’t really engage in war and all that, you know? We never really get training in that.”

“No, I would not expect you to,” Woojin said and Felix raised an eyebrow. “I do not mean to imply anything, Duke Felix. I just-”

“I’m simply teasing you, Archduke,” Felix said, waving his hand in the air. 

There was another pause as Felix looked over his shoulder, over the landscape below.

“Say, Archduke,” he began, eyes looking back at Woojin. There was a mischievous gleam in Felix’s eyes, a gleam that hadn’t been there before.

Woojin had a bad feeling about this. 

“Have you looked over the area from the air yet?”

“I haven’t,” Woojin replied slowly, unsure of where Felix was taking this conversation. “Why?”

“Would you mind accompany me?” Felix asked, standing up on the railing of the balcony. 

“I would love to,” Woojin said before he could stop himself and the smile that stretched over Felix’s face told him everything he needed to know.

Oh god.

“Perfect,” Felix said and before Woojin could react, he jumped off the balcony.

Woojin looked over the edge just in time to see a silver dragon take flight. The dragon’s body was slim with a long neck, it’s wings looking almost a bit too large for its lean body. The horns on the dragon’s head followed its head and only curved up slightly at the end. The tail was like the rest of the dragon’s body, lean and slim and ended with a small tuft of dark gray fur. 

With a headshake, Woojin climbed up on the railing of the balcony. He looked over the landscape, his eyes wandering the garden far below the balcony before he jumped. 

And then he soared.

  


  


“I heard you had the first flight around the area, my grace,” Changbin said as Woojin joined him for breakfast. Woojin simply hummed as he sat down. “And with Duke Felix no less.”

“Indeed,” Woojin said, running a hand through his black hair as he stared at the plate in front of him. “He showed me around the area a little. He seemed to know his way around so I figured it wouldn’t hurt.” Changbin hummed. “Have you taken flight around the area yet?”

“Of course I have, my grace,” Changbin said, looking up from his food with a smile. “Minho was kind enough to show me around.”

“Minho, eh?” Woojin said slowly. Changbin simply raised an eyebrow, waiting for Woojin to continue. “I’m just curious to why a servant would take you around the area rather than one of the other knights here.”

“Oh,” Changbin said, his cheeks quickly turning pink. “I didn’t- I mean-”

“Don’t sweat it, Changbin,” Woojin said, waving his hand in the air. “I’m simply teasing you.”

“A bad man is what you are, your grace,” Changbin said and Woojin laughed. “I will have to admit that he’s… quite something.”

“You have spoken about him almost every time I’ve gotten to talk to you since arriving here,” Woojin said and Changbin sheepishly turned his head down to the floor. “Not that there’s anything wrong with that. I quite understand what you see in him.”

“What what?” 

“I met him about two nights ago,” Woojin said and Changbin raised an eyebrow. “Quite the odd one but he seems to be a genuinely good person.”

“A very good person,” Changbin confirmed and Woojin smiled again. There was a pause before Changbin spoke up again. “I met with a certain Marquess Hyunjin yesterday,” he began and Woojin groaned, knowing there would be nothing good coming from this. “He told me someone had a bit of trouble keeping their eyes off Chan during the dinner together.”

Woojin sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“I guess I wasn’t as discreet as I thought I was.”

“According to Hyunjin, you were very open about your affection towards the Crown Prince,” Changbin said, raising an eyebrow. “Although, judging by the way the Crown Prince acted during the meeting with the silver dragons, I understand if you wish to not speak about it.”

“Thank you, Changbin,” Woojin said and Changbin nodded. “I’d like to not speak about it. For now at least.”

“I understand, your grace.”

They continued to eat in silence until something occurred to Woojin.

“You seemed to have grown fond of Seungmin and Jisung,” he said and Changbin chuckled. “I have not spoken to them. They seem to have been a slight intimidated by me when Hyunjin insisted on sparring with me a few days ago.”

“Ah yes,” Changbin said, smile on his lips. “You did give them a bit of a scare, if I’m being honest here, your grace.”

“Please apologize to them for me.”

“Will do,” Changbin said, nodding and Woojin smiled. “I just somehow ended up being their instructor a few times and now they’re like hatchlings around me.”

“That’s rather endearing,” Woojin pointed out and Changbin hummed.

“I guess so…” he trailed off as he rubbed his chin. “But I was under the impression that I'm here to help the white territories whip their military into shape. I wasn’t really expecting this.”

“I think we just have to remember that we’re no longer in the black dragon’s territories and the rules of our army does not apply here,” Woojin said, sighing as he watched Changbin’s expression darken. “I’m sorry to bring that up.”

“No, it’s okay, your grace,” Changbin said, shaking his head. “I will be blunt with you but I’m glad that we’re no longer in the army of the black dragons and I’m glad I get to instruct knights without all those rules.”

Woojin sighed and ran a hand through his black hair before he nodded. “I am too, Changbin.”

  


“How are you, Hyunjin?” Woojin asked as he and Hyunjin left the meeting room. The council members filtered out one by one after them until only Chan and Felix remained in the meeting room. Woojin figured the two of them wanted their privacy to discuss whatever they needed to discuss. 

“I’m good,” Hyunjin said as they began to make their way down the hallway. He threw a glance over his shoulder in the direction of the meeting room. “Considering the meeting and all.”

“Anything you disagreed with?” Woojin asked, raising an eyebrow but Hyunjin shook his head. He looked around the hallway, making sure they were alone. 

“I’m just easily bored, Jinnie,” he said, lowering his voice to a stage whisper. “And that meeting was so, so very boring.”

“I can only agree with you, Jinnie,” Woojin said and Hyunjin grinned. “How are you settling in?” he asked, changing the subject.

“Good, I would say,” Hyunjin said with a smile. “Duke Felix is rather familiar with the area as well and he took me around the territories. He also introduced me to two knights who are around my age. Jisung and Seungmin.”

“Ah.”

“No offence, _ Archduke, _” he said, putting emphasis on Woojin’s title and Woojin couldn’t hold the grin off his face. “But it is rather nice to have someone around my age.”

“I’m nine years older than you, it was to be expected,” Woojin said, the grin on his lips lingering. “Have you met Jeongin as well?”

“I have,” Hyunjin said, nodding his head a little. “Although Felix was pretty quick to sweep him away.”

“He was?” Woojin asked and Hyunjin nodded, smug grin on his lips and a gleam in his eyes. 

“I think he’s smitten,” Hyunjin said and Woojin gently pushed Hyunjin’s shoulder. “I feel the love in the air in this castle,” he singsonged and Woojin just shook his head.

“This is going to come back at you when you fall in love, kid,” he said, ignoring Hyunjin’s protests. “Have you been around the lower parts of the gardens?” he asked and he glanced over at Hyunjin. 

“I haven’t,” Hyunjin said, shaking his head. “I was planning on yesterday but Seungmin and Jisung brought me around the human parts of the lands, showing me how the human village looked. It was interesting.”

“I can imagine,” Woojin said. 

“Do you have time to walk with me through the gardens?” Hyunjin asked. Woojin only nodded and offered Hyunjin his arm. Hyunjin grinned as he took Woojin’s arm. “Such a gentleman, Archduke.”

“Only for you, Marquess,” Woojin replied jokingly and the two of them headed down the hallway and towards the gardens. 

  


Woojin was strolling the castle mindlessly. He knew he should probably have gone to bed by now, but the full moon outside had been glaring through his window and he figured he could just wait till everyone in the castle had gone to bed before taking a stroll.

He enjoyed the full moons; he found the silver light it cast over the lands absolutely beautiful. This kingdom was just so different from his, the castle perched on a mountain with the city below it. It was beautiful and a refreshing change.

As he was walking through the corridor, he could hear the gentle flapping of small wings and when he reached the spiral staircase leading up to the roof of the castle, he recalled his parents telling him about the pseudodragons that lived in the area. As he walked up the stairs, he could see small dragons outside the castle.

He stepped outside, a small smile twitching in the corner of his lips as the moonlight washed over him. This part of the roof was mostly just open, a stone railing to protect the ones inside with vines and other plants growing up the sides of it. As he looked out over the tilted landscape, he could see the light of the town in the distance, separated from the castle by a patch of woodland. 

“...Woojin?” a gentle voice suddenly said and Woojin took his eyes off the view, coming face to face with Chan. Woojin froze, eyes wide as he looked at the crown prince.

The moonlight reflected off his white clothes and illuminated his hair. He was wearing an off shoulder shirt, loose fit and billowing, sheer sleeves that was pulled in at the waist. The train of soft, white fabric was moving behind him, in the gentle breeze. Gold gleamed in his hair, on the braided side and it was only accentuated by the golden jewelry around his neck and shoulders.

He was so beautiful Woojin almost lost his breath. His heart ached as he stared at the crown prince. He held so much affection for this man and it hurt him to not be able to express it.

“Crown prince,” he said, bowing his head slightly. “You’re up late.”

“So are you, Archduke,” Chan retorted, regaining his composure. “What brings you out here?”

“The moon is beautiful,” Woojin said softly, approaching Chan carefully to join him by the railing. “I assume you’re here for the same reason.”

Chan was silent for a moment, looking away from Woojin to look over the view in front of them. “You’re not wrong, Archduke,” he said, breaking the silence and Woojin hummed, taking his eyes off Chan to look over the moon. “I needed some fresh air. The castle feels a bit… stuffy at times.”

“Understandable,” Woojin said slowly, nodding his head a little. “I can’t imagine what rests on your shoulders. I grew up in a similar situation but I do not have to carry the weight of a whole kingdom like you have,” he continued, watching as Chan’s shoulders slumped and his usually proud posture gradually washed off him. Woojin eyed him closely, his heart squeezing painfully in his chest. 

Chan looked tired. Oh so terribly tired. 

“Would you like to take me around your territories?” Woojin asked and Chan blinked, tilting his head a little. “I’ve been around the place with Felix but… I think you would be able to show me the area better than him, considering you’re from here.”

“Oh but…” Chan trailed off, frowning as he pondered Woojin’s question. Then he spoke up again. “Yes. I’d like that a lot.” He turned to look over the landscape in front of them. He reached out and placed a hand on the railing of the balcony. He brushed his thumb over the cold stone and stared into the empty air for a moment. “I haven’t… I haven’t shifted in a while,” he admitted sheepishly as he glanced back at Woojin.

“Don’t worry about that,” Woojin said, offering Chan a wide smile. Chan chuckled before he nervously ran a hand through his hair. “Just take your time and I’ll follow you.”

Chan nodded, remaining quiet as he got up on the railing. He sat there for a moment and Woojin just watched him intently, leaning against the railing. Chan looked absolutely breathtaking as he just sat there, his lips slightly parted and brows furrowed. 

Then he took a deep breath and pushed off the railing. Woojin held his breath as the sound of large wings beating began to fill the air and he stared at the dragon.

The white dragon stretched its wings and took flight and in the pale moonlight, the scales appeared to be iridescent.

It was a beautiful sight.

Black dragons were known for being large and generally bulky. While the white dragons did not have the slender necks of the other northern dragons, they were generally slender built with pale gray horns following the curve of their head and neck. Chan was no exception. The dragon was slender but still stronger in build than most northern dragons Woojin had seen. The tail was long and ended with a tuft of white fur. He resembled Felix’s dragon shape a lot except he seemed to be stronger and sturdier built with paler scales.

Woojin smiled and looked to meet the dragon’s gaze. Red eyes looked at him expectantly. 

With the smile still lingering on his lips, Woojin got up on the railing of the balcony. He glanced at Chan one last time before pushing off, shifting shape in the air.

Large wings stretched out and cast a shadow to the landscape far below the castle. Woojin craned his neck to look at Chan who was still hovering just above him. He let out a huff, beating his wings a couple of times to get back to Chan’s level.

There was a gleam of something in Chan’s red eyes and the white dragon nimbly twisted around in the air, something Woojin knew he would never be able to to. He watched for a moment as the white dragon soared, getting smaller and smaller the further away he got. 

Then he snapped out of his daze and he followed.

  


  


Woojin was supervising the knights practice again when Felix joined his side. At first, the young silver dragon didn’t say anything. He simply stood beside Woojin, watching the knights practice intently. 

“I always wanted to try practicing with the knights,” Felix said, breaking the silence between the two. “I used to think that being a knight sounded like a cool thing…” he trailed off and a sheepish smile made its way up on his lips. “Now of course, as you know, we silver dragons don’t really engage in combat in any kind of way. My parents were strictly against it.”

“There’s not really any glory in fighting,” Woojin said, shrugging a little. Felix nodded. “I admire the territories that managed to live a more peaceful life than us.”

“We live peacefully thanks to you and the other southern territories,” Felix pointed out and Woojin sighed before nodding slowly. He was right. The northern territories were protected through the treaty they had made with the southern ones. 

“You got a good point there,” Woojin said and Felix hummed. There was a pause before Woojin spoke up again. “Can I ask you something personal, Duke Felix?”

“I don’t see why not,” Felix said, shrugging; then something gleamed in his eyes. “If I can ask you something personal in return.”

“I suppose that’s fair,” Woojin said, shoulders slumping just a little as he took a deep breath. “Are you, perhaps, interested in Jeongin?” he asked.

Felix laughed, a smile stretching on his lips. 

“I am,” he said, the tips of his ears beginning to turn red. “I’m not really subtle about it, am I?”

“Not really, no,” Woojin said, smile on his lips. “Also, Marquess Hyunjin told me he suspected you had some feelings for Jeongin.”

Felix laughed. 

“I imagined,” he said and Woojin hummed. “I do like him. I know I haven’t been here long but I know Jeongin from previous visits and I knew I liked him in the past,” Felix said, shrugging casually. “Unclear if that’s a wise decision, politically, but I assume that is for the future to decide,” he continued, pausing for a moment to look Woojin over. “Some other chance might arise. Who knows.”

“You really don’t sound like you’re seventeen, Duke Felix,” Woojin said, raising an eyebrow and Felix laughed again.

“I get that a lot,” he said with a shrug. “I guess that was a personal question. My turn.”

“Sure,” Woojin said, eyebrow still raised as he looked at Felix.

“Are you friends with Marquess Hyunjin?” Felix asked, peering at Woojin with curious, blue eyes. “You two do seem rather… comfortable with each other.”

“He spent a lot of time in the care of my parents for a while there,” Woojin explained and Felix nodded, rubbing his chin. “He’s like a younger brother to me.”

“Ah,” Felix said, nodding again. “That’s why you two seemed so close…” he trailed off. “And why the fight the other day looked so playful.”

“Yes,” Woojin said, fond smile stretching on his lips. He let his eyes wander back to the knights on the training grounds. He took a deep breath and glanced over to Felix. “Would you like to learn how to fight?”

“Me?” Felix asked, raising an eyebrow. Woojin nodded as he crossed his arms over his chest and Felix’s expression shifted from playful to somewhat scared. “I don’t know if…”

“Don’t feel like you have to,” Woojin said, smiling softly. “I’m simply offering if you want to learn a thing or two.”

Felix looked between the knights and Woojin. Then he took a deep breath and nodded.

“Just don’t break me,” he said seriously, extending a hand towards Woojin and he raised his pinky. 

“I won’t do that,” Woojin said as he hooked his own pinky with Felix’s. “I promise.”

  


  


Neither Hyunjin or Felix had joined them for dinner. Both had had their excuses but Woojin suspected that they either just didn’t want to spend time with the old ones or they wanted to give Woojin and Chan space to talk freely to each other.

Either way, Woojin appreciated it.

While he wasn’t able to speak openly to Chan about everything, he felt like the wall between them was slowly fading. Things were becoming more comfortable, ever since that night on the balcony.

“I heard you and Felix went head to head today,” Chan said, snapping Woojin out of his own thoughts and Woojin looked up from his plate.

“Ah yes,” he said, rubbing the back of his nape sheepishly. Chan smiled as he leaned back in his chair. 

“Too bad I wasn’t able to see it,” he said, shaking his head. “I rarely see my cousin anywhere near the training grounds so that would have been a sight to behold, surely.”

“He did well,” Woojin said, smiling as a fond smile bloomed on Chan’s lips. “Especially for someone who has never been trained in combat.”

“You didn’t go too hard on him I hope,” Chan said, still smiling. Woojin laughed and shook his head. “We northern dragons aren’t as durable as you southern.”

“I wouldn’t say that, Crown Prince,” Woojin said and Chan’s expression softened even further. “I’d say you northern ones can be pretty durable as well.”

“You flatter us, Archduke,” Chan said as he placed his cutlery on the plate. Woojin did the same and pushed the plate a bit further up on the table. 

They both stood up in unison and then turned to face each other. 

“I have a few documents I need to go over and sign,” Chan said, his gaze wandering towards the window and the dark sky outside. “But would you mind meeting me outside later? We don’t…” he trailed off and bit his lip. “We don’t have to try and go for a flight or anything… A walk in the garden would be nice.”

“I like the sound of that,” Woojin said and Chan nodded. Before Chan could say anything else, Woojin reached to gently take Chan’s hand. His skin was pleasantly warm against Woojin’s and it sparked something in Woojin’s chest.

Woojin pressed a kiss on the top of Chan’s hand before looking up to meet Chan’s gaze again. 

“I’ll see you later then, Crown Prince,” he said and Chan smiled, a warm and genuine smile.

“Always the gentleman,” he remarked as Woojin let go of his hand. “I’ll see you later, Archduke Woojin.”

  


  


Despite their meetings during the late hours became a frequent thing, a certain level of tension between them and a border that Woojin didn’t seem to be able to cross. Despite being happy about being close to Chan after so many years, Woojin felt like he wasn’t able to reach Chan fully. There was still something between the two of them.

But something that these meetings brought with them were all the feelings that Woojin had tried to forget. 

He was in love with the Crown Prince and at this point, there was no denying it. 

Woojin sighed as he sat down on one of the benches in the garden. The meeting between the ambassadors, the council and the Crown Prince earlier that day had been a disaster. Woojin had been distracted and not paid enough attention, resulting in the meeting being wrapped up earlier than anticipated and a few irritated council members. 

He could only expect an angry letter from his father in a week or two. 

A rustle suddenly brought Woojin out of his thoughts and he looked up to see Jeongin walk along the path. This specific part of the garden was close to the forest with only a pathway, a few benches here and there and trees and bushes lining the pathway. 

“Jeongin?” he asked but Jeongin quickly brought up a hand to his lips. The young white dragon’s ears were bright red and his red eyes almost desperate.

“Don’t tell anyone you saw me,” he said, quickly ducking into the bushes behind the bench where Woojin was sitting.

Not a minute later, Felix appeared with a confused expression on his face.

“Duke Felix?” Woojin asked, blinking. He was rather confused by the whole situation. 

“Woo-” Felix paused to clear his throat. “Archduke Woojin,” he said, correcting himself and he adjusted his clothes a little, straightening his back as he did. “You wouldn’t have happened to see Jeongin pass by?”

Woojin furrowed his brows, thinking for a moment before he shook his head. 

“I’m sorry, Duke Felix, I’m afraid I haven’t,” he said and Felix sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Was there anything special?”

“No,” Felix said, shaking his head. “Not really,” he paused and bit his lip as he stared down the pathway. Then he looked back at Woojin. “I’ll take my leave then. Thank you so much, Archduke Woojin.”

“Have a good day, Duke Felix,” Woojin said with a nod of his head as Felix headed down the path. 

There was a moment of silence and Woojin could almost feel Jeongin holding his breath. Then the bush rustled a little and Jeongin stepped out on the path.

“Thank you,” Jeongin said. Woojin only smiled and patted the spot beside him on the bench, gesturing for Jeongin to sit down beside him. 

“Is he pestering you?” Woojin asked, raising an eyebrow but Jeongin shook his head.

“He’s very kind to me and not… He’s not pushy, if that’s what you’re asking, Archduke,” Jeongin replied, taking a deep breath as he stared at the trees in front of them. “It’s just… I’m not really used to the attention? He says a lot of embarrassing things and-” he paused, glancing over at Woojin with a worried look in his eyes. “I wouldn’t want to bore you with mere teenage drama, your grace.”

“Speak your mind, Jeongin,” Woojin said, reaching out to pat Jeongin’s shoulder. “If I can lend my ear to make your burden lighter, I’ll gladly do that.”

“Thank you,” Jeongin mumbled. He took a deep breath before continuing. “I like the attention and everything but it’s just… I’m just not used to it,” he said and Woojin nodded. “I like him a lot and today he just…” he trailed off, chewing on his bottom lip. “He said that he liked me and I just- I panicked and ran away.”

“Oh.”

Jeongin groaned and hid his face in his hands. 

“I didn’t know what to do,” he whined and Woojin reached out to just pat Jeongin’s back in an attempt to provide some comfort. “He must think I hate him.”

“I’m sure everything will be alright if you just talk to Duke Felix,” he said and Jeongin hummed, rubbing his face. “He’s a pretty reasonable young man. I’m sure he’ll understand. Just take your time and talk to him when you feel ready.”

“Yeah,” Jeongin said with a sigh and he leaned back on the bench. 

There was a moment of silence between the two of them before Jeongin spoke up again. 

“Are you… courting the Crown Prince?” he asked and Woojin almost choked on nothing, surprised by the sudden question. Jeongin widened his eyes and held up his hands. “I’m so sorry I shouldn’t ask. It’s not my place oh my god I’m so sorry.”

“No it’s… It’s okay, Jeongin,” Woojin said and Jeongin exhaled loudly, shoulder slumping and his body relaxing a little. “To answer your question… uhm, no. No I am not courting the Crown Prince. Why are you asking?”

“I-” Jeongin bit his lip, staring down at his hands for a second. “I just happened to see the two of you. You meet up during the evenings on the balcony…” He trailed off and then his eyes widened again. “I’m not spying or anything it’s just that the servants quarters have their windows overlooking the balcony you met at and I just happened to see it. I didn’t-”

“Calm down,” Woojin said, raising a hand and Jeongin fell silent. “I understand you didn’t mean anything by it…” He chuckled as he ran a hand through his hair. “We weren’t that sneaky, were we?”

“You weren’t,” Jeongin confirmed, eyes still wide and he bit his lip. It looked like he wanted to ask something more. At last he took a deep breath and broke the silence again. “I apologize for the personal question, your grace but… Are you in love with the Crown Prince?”

Woojin always prided himself for being a thoughtful person who always thought things through before speaking. But this time he found himself blurting the answer before even thinking. 

“I am.”

  
  
  


  


Woojin walked through the quiet halls of the castle. Night had begun to fall and the hallways were illuminated by rows of candles on the walls. As he made his way towards the room that served as more of an office than anything, he passed by a few servants.

He greeted each of them with a low ‘hello’ and a nod of his head. He could only pray that he wouldn’t run into Minho or worse, Felix, as he made his way towards the Crown Prince’s room. 

The door to the room was just slightly ajar and as Woojin stopped outside, he could hear voices come from inside.

“Felix,” Chan said, sounding tired. From inside the room, Woojin could hear papers rustling and Chan sighed. “Please get down from the desk.”

“I wasn’t implying anything, cousin dearest,” came Felix’s reply. He sounded smug and Chan sighed again. “I think I was pretty straight forward with my request.”

“He’s eleven years older than you, Felix,” Chan said, groaning when Felix replied with a simple ‘so?’. “I cannot stand behind this.”

“I’m just saying,” Felix began and Woojin could almost picture the smug expression on his face. “If you’re not going to do anything about it, I am.”

“By marriage?”

“I’m not going to say no to someone like that,” Felix said, probably shrugging after he finished speaking. “I’ll leave you to think about that.”

This was probably the moment to announce his presence. As soon Felix finished speaking, Woojin raised his hand and knocked on the wooden door. 

“Come in,” Chan said and Woojin gently pushed the door open. He stepped inside the room and looked around. Chan was leaning against the far wall, arms crossed over his chest and Felix was standing by the desk, some of the papers on the desk crumpled. “Archduke.”

“Crown Prince,” Woojin said, bowing his head. Then he looked at Felix and gave Felix a nod. “Duke Felix.”

“Archduke Woojin,” Felix beamed, adjusting the silver fabric that was draped over his shoulder. He turned to Chan and gave Chan a nod. “I’ll leave the two of you alone,” he said and Chan sighed, raising a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. 

Felix began to make his way out of the room but stopped in the doorway.

“Think about what I said,” he said and Chan shook his head, rolling his eyes. This was the most casual Woojin had ever seen Chan act in a very long time. Felix grinned. “Have a good evening you two.”

And with that, he left them alone in the office.

“I’m sorry about Felix,” Chan said, shaking his head again. “Teenagers you know.”

“I know, I know,” Woojin said, offering Chan a small smile.

“Did you hear the conversation?” he asked, shoulder slumping. The tiredness seemed to have settled in his whole being and Woojin’s heart ached. 

“Only heard Duke Felix saying something about ‘someone like that’,” Woojin lied, hoping to spare Chan some stress and Chan winced but nodded. “And that he was going to leave, of course.”

“Of course,” Chan said, rubbing his temple with his hand. He stared out into empty space for a moment before snapping his eyes up and look at Woojin. “Can I help you with anything, Archduke?” he asked and Woojin bit his lip.

Oh how he wished Chan would just address him by name.

“Would you mind taking a walk with me?” he asked and Chan paused in his movement, eyes widening for a second. “You look like you could use some fresh air.”

Chan thought for a moment before he let his arms drop to his side and he nodded.

“That sounds like a wonderful idea, Archduke,” he said and Woojin wasn’t able to stop the smile that stretched on his lips along with the warmth in his chest. 

Chan pushed away from the wall and approached Woojin. Summoning whatever courage he had, Woojin offered his hand to Chan.

He wasn’t expecting much but his heart skipped a beat when Chan placed his small hand in his.

“Lead the way, Archduke Woojin.”

  
  


  


The warm summer night breeze was gentle as Woojin led Chan through the forest. His heart was beating loudly in his chest and he was certain Chan could hear it. Chan, however, made no attempt to show it, he simply followed Woojin through the forest, a curious look in his piercing, red eyes. Among the darkness of the woods and under the silver light of the moon, Chan stood out like a white diamond on a dark, plush pillow. As they walked, Woojin let his thumb brush over the jewelry the back of Chan’s hand, fastened around his middle finger. 

When they reached their intended destination, a more secluded part of the forest in a small clearing, Woojin stopped. He knew they would have their privacy here, as much as they could get. Woojin knew the trees were watching them, the old and wise trees with thick trunks and tall tree tops.

“Humor me, Archduke,” Chan said and Woojin inhaled, his heart doing a backflip as Chan called his name and he turned around. Under the silver light, Chan’s blond hair seemed to reflect almost silver, his white clothes bright as well and his face relaxed. He let his eyes wander over the nature around them before he snapped his gaze back to look at Woojin. “Why did you bring me here? What did you need to talk to me about?”

“I…” Woojin took a deep breath and Chan hummed, holding his hands close to his torso in a rather uptight and royal manner. Woojin took a second to look him over. 

Chan looked so collected, so official and Woojin bit the inside of his cheek as he thought back to that night, when they had run into each other. Chan had been so relaxed, so casual and Woojin found himself preferring that Chan over the regal and uptight Chan he usually interacted with. The look in his eyes were guarded, as if he was trying his best to keep a facade up. 

“I needed to address some things,” he finally said and Chan raised an eyebrow.

“I figured that much, Archduke,” he spoke slowly, tilting his head a little. “Just say it alr-”

“I am in love with you, Crown Prince,” Woojin said, cutting Chan off before he could finish and he watched as Chan’s eyes widened, shock written all over his face. His lips were slightly parted, all words seemingly having escaped him in this moment. “I understand if you do not reciprocate my feelings and I apologize if I seem too forward. I simply wanted you to know.”

“I-” Chan blinked, shaking his head a little as he seemed to try and organize his thoughts. He inhaled sharply, closing his eyes as he sighed. “Archduke…” He bit his lip, opening his eyes to meet Woojin’s gaze. “I am in love with you too, Woojin,” he said softly, so softly Woojin’s ears almost didn’t catch it. “I’m so madly in love with you.”

Woojin inhaled sharply, his heart racing in his chest and he took an uncertain step towards Chan. As Chan did not make any attempt to either approach or turn away from him, Woojin bit his lip and walked up to Chan. Chan kept his gaze locked with Woojin’s, his lips trembling as Woojin reached him.

“Crown prince,” he whispered, brushing his fingers over Chan’s pale cheek.

“Just Chan,” Chan breathed. Woojin hummed, placing a hand on Chan’s waist to tug him a bit closer. He looked so delicate and _ utterly _ beautiful. “Please just call me Chan.”

“Chan,” he whispered, the name rolling off his tongue smoothly. “If you do not wish for this, tell me and I’ll stop,” he continued, leaning a bit closer to Chan. Chan let out a laugh, his breath hitting Woojin’s lips in small puffs of air.

“I’m not going to stop you,” he murmured, his hand coming up to brush his fingers along Woojin’s jaw and warmth bloomed in Woojin’s chest. He pressed his lips against Chan’s, as gently as he could as if not to hurt Chan. To Woojin, Chan was so precious and he held him so dear in his heart. Chan’s lips were soft, gentle as he moved them against Woojin’s. He kept his hand on Woojin’s jaw, his other coming up to rest on Woojin’s bicep. 

“You are so utterly beautiful,” Woojin whispered, his forehead touching Chan’s and he placed his free hand on the small of Chan’s back. Chan laughed again, eyes crinkling up into small crescent moons and he pressed a short kiss on Woojin’s lips.

“Humor me, love,” he murmured, causing Woojin’s heart to stutter in his chest and he was unable to hold back the wide smile on his lips, “when did you fall in love with me?”

“Do you remember when we met?” Woojin asked and Chan hummed, red eyes hooded as he stared into Woojin’s pale blue ones. “Your hair was brown back then,” he paused to press a kiss on Chan’s cheek. “And your cheeks so round. Do you remember when I took your hand?”

“I do,” Chan said, closing his eyes. “You kissed my hand because your mother told you. You almost looked scared of me.”

“You were so small,” Woojin murmured, only for Chan to hear and Chan let out a quiet snort. “I was so scared of causing you any harm… and then I took your hand.”

“And then?” Chan asked, voice barely a whisper and his breath fanned over Woojin’s lips. Instead of replying immediately, Woojin pressed his lips against Chan’s again. He could feel Chan smiling against his lips, his grasp around Woojin’s bicep tightened.

“And then I fell in love,” Woojin whispered, his forehead just barely touching Chan’s and Chan’s eyes fluttered open. Under the darkness of night, Chan’s eyes seemed to almost glow like bright rubies. The previously guarded and cold look in them were gone, replaced with so many emotions reflecting in them. Woojin’s heart stuttered, his grip of Chan’s waist tightening. “Just like that… I fell in love.”

“That’s was such a long time ago,” Chan whispered as he pulled back a little from Woojin, the adoration in his eyes so clear. 

“I’ve been in love with you for most of my life,” Woojin murmured, brushing his thumb over the fabric of Chan’s dress. “I never stopped.” 

Chan mumbled something but his words were too quiet for Woojin to pick up. He raised his eyebrows a little and Chan bit his lip.

“Do you remember that time when… when I was fourteen?” he asked quietly and Woojin nodded slowly, unsure if he knew exactly what Chan was thinking off. “That time we went out into the forest and I fell into the river?”

“Ah.” 

Yes, Woojin remembered. 

“You helped me out of the water and…” Chan trailed off, his ears turning such a bright color of pink that Woojin could see it despite the dim light of the moon being the only light source. “As you helped me up and… I just realized I fell in love.”

“That’s an awfully long time,” Woojin commented and Chan smiled. Woojin’s stomach twisted, not uncomfortably so. 

“I guess I just didn’t realize what those feelings were until recently,” Chan continued, averting his gaze. “I got a bit too much to think about but… I still wasn’t able to let you go.”

“I’m glad you didn’t,” Woojin said, moving his hand from Chan’s waist to place his hand on Chan’s cheek. “Promise to not let me go any time soon,” he whispered, leaning his forehead against Chan’s.

There was a pause as Chan looked into Woojin’s eyes, seeming to search for something as he took a moment to think. Then he smiled; his eyes crinkling into beautiful crescent moons and the dimples in his cheeks appearing. 

“I promise.”

  


“Have you seen Duke Felix?” Woojin asked as he and Changbin stood on the side of the training grounds, both of them looking intently at the knights practicing below them. 

“Last time I saw him he was busy trying to court Jeongin,” Changbin said and Woojin snorted. “Poor kid looked like he was about to die.”

“I guess the Duke took a liking to him,” Woojin said, smile stretching on his lips and Changbin chuckled. 

“I guess so,” he said before pausing for a moment. “Why? Do you need anything from the Duke?”

“I was going to talk to him about certain things,” Woojin said, not wanting to let Changbin know too much.

“Does ‘certain things’ involve the Crown Prince or are my guesses completely off?” he asked and Woojin turned to meet Changbin’s gaze. Changbin raised an eyebrow, yellow eyes piercing and almost knowing as he looked at Woojin. There was no way Woojin would be able to lie to Changbin.

“You’re too clever for your own good, Changbin,” Woojin said and Changbin laughed, his face relaxing.

“I try my best, your grace,” he said and Woojin shook his head. “Would you mind telling me or is that royal business?”

“Your my friend, Changbin,” Woojin said, reaching out to pat Changbin on the shoulder. “This would probably be considered royal affairs which I should not share outside nobility but…” he trailed off and a grin stretched on his lips. “I guess we can bend the rules a little.”

“My, oh my,” Changbin said, placing a hand on his chest as he feigned shock. “Who are you and what have you done to the Archduke?” he asked and Woojin laughed, giving Changbin’s shoulder a gentle push. “You? Bending the rules? Impossible.”

“I get it, I get it,” Woojin said, shaking his head but the smile still remained.

“So,” Changbin said, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked at Woojin. “What did you need Duke Felix for?”

“I am courting the Crown Prince,” Woojin said, snorting as Changbin widened his eyes. “Don’t look so surprised. You knew something was up.”

“I mean, yeah I did,” Changbin said after a moment of trying to gather himself. He blinked a couple of times. “I did. But I didn’t- I didn’t expect you to already be at the level of courting.”

“Well,” Woojin said, shrugging casually. “I guess we’re here now.”

“And Duke Felix..?”

“As he’s the only living relative of the Crown Prince, I will have to ask for his blessing before I even begin courting Chan.”

“Ah,” Changbin said, a smile stretching on his lips and he raised an eyebrow. “Already on a first name basis with him, hm?” 

Woojin shoved Changbin’s shoulder again and Changbin laughed. 

“Do the white dragons even have that custom though?” he asked and Woojin paused for a moment. “I know our customs are a lot different.”

“I… I don’t know actually,” Woojin said and just as he did, he caught a flash of silver in the corner of his eyes. Both him and Changbin turned to look and they could see Felix walking towards the gardens. 

Changbin looked at Woojin.

“Your grace,” he said, smile on his lips and he bowed his head. “Good luck.”

“Thank you, Changbin,” Woojin said and patted Changbin’s shoulder. “I’ll see you later,” he continued and with that he turned away from Changbin and towards Felix. He took a deep breath, calming his nerves a little and then he followed Felix towards the gardens. 

  


  


The halls were dark as Woojin walked through them, his heart nervously drumming in his chest. He tried to be as quiet as he walked over the marble floor, keeping an eye out for anyone. He really wouldn’t want to be found out as he tried to get to the crown prince’s room. 

Moonlight filtered in through the large windows of the hall as he continued towards Chan’s room. When he reached Chan’s door, he took a deep breath before knocking carefully. He didn’t want to make too much noise.

“Woojin?” Chan asked, his voice soft and barely a whisper in the chilly night air as he opened the door. Woojin’s heart stuttered in his chest as he laid his eyes upon Chan. “Come in,” Chan said, opening the door further. Woojin stepped inside, remaining quiet as Chan closed the door behind him.

There was a fire burning in Chan’s room, keeping the cold away and lighting up the room in a warm, orange color. Chan was wearing a nightgown, white soft lace and chiffon almost reaching all the way to the floor, with sheer sleeves from his shoulders down to his wrists. But what caught Woojin, what made him lose his breath, was Chan’s face.

He wasn’t wearing any makeup and his hair was not styled. He looked different from when Woojin usually met him, sharp red eyes that seemed to analyze and calculate everything, with his hair styled in neat curls. His natural hair was still curly, very unruly and it looked so soft Woojin almost reached out to touch it. His eyes were soft, void of any makeup on his face.

“You’re staring, love,” Chan murmured, reaching out a hand to brush his fingers over Woojin’s cheek. His eyes were soft, hooded and warm as the look of adoration in them became apparent. Woojin’s heart leaped in his chest and he placed his hand on top of Chan’s. Chan didn’t say anything, instead just smiling fondly at Woojin as he took Chan’s hand, pressing a gentle kiss on the palm.

“I can’t help it, love,” Woojin whispered, lacing his fingers with Chan’s as he placed his other hand on Chan’s cheek, his thumb brushing over his soft skin. “You’re so beautiful.”

“You’re such a charmer,” Chan cooed as Woojin brushed some curls away from his forehead, only for them to bounce back. Chan laughed softly, taking Woojin’s hand with his smaller one. “The curls are very unruly,” he said, humor lacing his voice and the soft smile remaining on his lips. “My apologies, archduke.”

“Don’t apologize, love,” Woojin murmured, leaning closer to press his lips against Chan’s. Chan tightened his grip of Woojin’s hand smiling against Woojin’s lips. “You’re so utterly breathtaking,” Woojin mumbled against Chan’s lips, his hand finding its way back to Chan’s cheek.

“You’re flattering me,” Chan said and Woojin simply hummed, the sound rumbling in his chest. “I will not deny that I quite enjoy it.”

“I’m glad you do, Crown Prince,” Woojin said, brushing his thumb over Chan’s cheekbone. “I wasn’t planning on stopping anytime soon.”

He could feel Chan smile against his lips and that made warmth spark in his chest. Chan tightened the grip of his shirt, tugging Woojin just a little closer to him.

“Good.”

  


_ Fin. _

**Author's Note:**

> This is a long overdue birthday fic for Luna ;v; finally finished it hehe it's based on this: https://twitter.com/MakotoRitsu/status/1099092212921626625 au uwu  
I have gone through it and as always, there's bound to be some typos here and there because I always seem to miss something. 
> 
> Thank you all so much for reading I hope you enjoyed it <3 comments are appreciated <3
> 
> I'm pinkpunchmango on twt and cc in case you wanna ask me smth/see what i'm up to uwu <3


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